Marilyn Schlitz, president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California, woke up one day to find that Dan Brown's clever surprises weren't confined to the pages of his best-selling books. After reading rumors on Twitter that one of the main characters in The Lost Symbol was a researcher at the Institute, Schlitz picked up a copy and read through the night.She was amazed to find many correlations not only between the Institute's research and the book's plot, but also between the fictional character Katherine Solomon and Schlitz herself. She noticed several experiments done at the Institute in The Lost Symbol, but also found much that tended more toward science fiction. In addition, despite a lack of physical similarities, Schlitz and Solomon both started their careers at age 19 and studied prayer and healing and distant intention and both women's father and brother were 32nd degree Masons and members of the Scottish Rite.
Schlitz was especially surprised to find herself and the Institute starring in The Lost Symbol because she had never spoken with Brown. The day the book was published, however, "Dan Brown sent a very sweet e-mail saying, 'As you know, I'm a big fan of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. I had hoped to give you a heads-up,' Schlitz says. 'But because of the security around the book, he wasn't able to. But he was hoping we were enjoying the attention'" (Hagerty). With increased activity on the Institute's website and calls for interviews with NPR and Dateline NBC, it seems as though Schlitz truly is finding this to be a pleasant surprise.
Hagerty, Barbara Bradley. "Woman Reads Dan Brown Novel, Discovers Herself." NPR. 12 Oct. 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113676181>.
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